Portable fence-post.



Rm 0 9 1 L 2 0 N D E m N E T A P S I R R A H R W O 1 5 0 OO 0 N PORTABLE FENCE POST.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1905.

F 7 j J WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed July 12, 1905. Serial No. 269,284.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RAY HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pelican, in the parish of De Soto and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Portable Fence-Post, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. This invention relates to fence-posts; and it consists substantially in the details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention has reference more especially to fence-posts technically referred to in the art as portable, and one of the principal objects thereof is to provide a fence-post of this character which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, besides being durable, quickly erected and taken down, thoroughly effective and reliable in use, and possessing the capacity for long and continued service.

The above and additional objects are attained by means substantially such as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portable fence-post embodying my improvements, the same being partly broken out and partly in section to indicate the construction and organization of the parts employed in the structure. Fig. 2 is a side View thereof, partly in transverse section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a sectional top plan view to indicate the construction and organization of the parts of the structure generally.

Before proceeding with a more detailed description it may be stated that in theform of my improvements herein shown I employ a specially-constructed fence-post and a specially-constructed base therefor, the two being so adapted to each other that when the post is in position for use the same is prevented from turning with respect to the base, as will be presently explained. The fencepost itself is preferably constructed of practically duplicate members, which when properly fastened or secured together within the base furnish suitably-spaced bearings or supports for the fence-wires. The said fencepost is erected in its proper position WithiIL the base by placing one member of the same therein at a time, and after the two members of the post have been properly associated with each other it is impossible to remove them from the base except by separate manipulation of each member in a special way. Special means are employed on the inner face of each side of the base by which to facilitate the placing in position of the members of the post and while I have herein represented my improvements in a certain preferred embodiment, it will be understood, of course, that I am not limited thereto in precise detail, since immaterial changes therein may be resorted to coming within the scope of my invention.

Reference being had to the drawings by the designating characters thereon, 1 represents my improved fence-post in entirety, the same being constructed of duplicate upright members 2 and 3, formed on the inner faces thereof at corresponding positions with registering notches 4:,by which to form openings for the fence-wires 5 when the two members-of the post are properly associated and secured together. The members of the post may be secured together in any suitable way, but preferably by means of headed bolts 6, provided with fastening-nuts 7 it being noted that the upper ends of the said members are notched correspondingly at 8 to receive the central portion 9 of an anchoring-wire 10 for the post, the ends of which are secured by inserting them through openings 11 in the ends 12 of a base 13 for the post and then twisting or otherwise securing them, as indicated at 14.

The base 13 for my improved fence-post may be constructed in diflerent ways; but I preferably construct the same substantially trough-like in shape, thus to enable the same to have great stability imparted thereto by placing therein any suitable form of ballast, as earth, rock, or-the like, Without the necessity of digging holes in the ground for plac ing either the said base or any part of the post therein, as is necessary with many forms of posts and bases therefor hitherto devised. As herein shown,thesaid trough-like base comprises the hereinbefore-mentioned ends 12, which are intersected by the parallel sides 15 of the base, which are spaced from each other for any desired distance, it being apparent that the base also comprises a bottom 16 and that the same may have any suitable depth as may be required in practice. To enable the duplicate members 2 and 3 of the fence-post to be inserted within the base and associated or connected with the sides 15 thereof in a quick and ready manner, as well as securely, I provide the sides 15 of the base with openings 17 and 18, preferably out of alinement with each other, and reversely disposed on opposite sides of these openings and secured to the inner faces of the sides 15 of the base are what I term abutments 19 and 20, but which incidentally also serve to give strength to the said sides. Each of the vertical parallel members of the post is provided laterally thereof near its lower end with a projection 21, corresponding to the opening in one of the sides 15 of the base, and when the base is in mounted position for use each projection extends through its appropriate opening, substantially as indicated in the drawings. (See Fig. 3 more especially.)

To enable the projections from the members of the post to be inserted within the said openings in the sides of the base, the opposite edge portions 22 and 23 of each opening are of the operator.

beveled reversely substantially from one face to the other of the side of the base to which the opening belongs, so that by placing the lower end of one member within the base at a time and carrying the same close to theinner face of one of the sides 15 and then imparting thereto a quarter-turn outwardly its said projection will be carried into the opening therefor in a manner quite obvious. Now it will also be obvious that in virtue of the presence of the abutments 19 and 20 alongside the openings the ends of the projections on the members of the post maybe prevented from moving beyond a certain working position, as each member is separately inserted within the base and partially rotated to carry its projection into one of the openings, as already explained. These abutments in this way greatly facilitate the placing of the posts within the bases therefor along long lines of fencing, and thus result in a great saving of time and labor on the part I may dispense with the said abutments in some instances, but prefer their use for the reasons stated. I may also dispense with the anchoring-wire 10 for the post, if desired, but prefer its use also to assist in maintaining the stability of the post structure relatively to the base structure.

From the foregoing it will be seen thatI have produced a portable fence-post and base therefor possessing advantageous features of construction and organization, and it will be seen that when the post and its base have been associated with each other in the manner described the entire structure is readily portable besides being strong and durable and capable of withstanding enormous strains to which it may be exposed. The members of the post can be separated from each other for any purpose whatever, and it will of course be understood that the materials employed in the construction of either the post or the base may be such as may be found to be best suited therefor in different localities.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base adapted to contain a ballast and having openings in the sides thereof out of alinement with each other, and a post mounted within the base, and provided with means entering said openings for detachably connecting the post to said sides.

2. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base having an opening in each side thereof, the opposite edge portions of which are beveled reversely substantially from one face of said side to the other, and a post seated within the base and provided witha projection extending through the opening corresponding thereto.

3. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base, having openings in the sides thereof out of alinement with each other, a post mounted within the base, and provided with means entering said openings for detachably connecting the post to said sides, the upper end of thepost having notches therein, and an anchoring device for the post extending through said notches and having the ends thereof secured.

1. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base having an opening in each side thereof, the opposite edge portions of which are beveled reversely substantially from one face of said side to the other, and a post seated within the base and provided with a projection extending through the opening corresponding thereto, said post embodying vertical parallel members secured together and formed with opposite notches for the reception of fence-wires.

5. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base having an opening in each side thereof, the opposite edge portions of which are beveled reversely substantially from one face of said side to the other, a post seated within the base and provided with a projection extending through the opening corresponding thereto, and an anchoring device for the post having the ends thereof secured to the ends of the base.

6. A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base having an opening in each side thereof, the opposite edge portions of which are beveled reversely substantially from one face of said side to the other, a post seated Within the base and provided with a projection extending through the opening corresponding thereto, the upper end of the post having notches therein, and an anchoring clevice for the post extending through said notches and having its ends secured to the ends of the base.

7 A portable fence post, comprising a trough-like base having an opening in each side thereof, the opposite edge portions of which are beveled reversely substantially from IIO one face of said side to the other, and a post I In testimony WhereofIhaVe signed my name seated Within the base and provided with a to this specification in the presence of two subprojection extending through the opening cor- I scribing Witnesses. responding thereto, said post embodying du- WILLIAM RAY HARRIS.

5 plicate members and the sides of the base be- Witnesses:

\ing provided with abutments, as and for the i J. L. ROBERTSON,

purpose set forth. T. E. FINGKER. 

